Moonlit Rose
by Judgment Waltz
Summary: It was only a strange action, a simple distortion of space, that allowed him to reawaken in the world called Remnant. And yet, the Dark Hour now looms over the world, with the only explanations fleeting away from him. Now, if time never waits for anyone, then neither it will wait for the Fool, but even his fate will be intervened by a Rose and her own fate. "So, what's a Persona?"
1. I Still Live

**Maybe I should stop taking inspiration from crossovers that already exist. Oh well.**

* * *

"Beacon Academy, huh?"

I sighed. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this to happen.

When I woke up in this world, I was surprised at not where I was dumped at, but when. From what the boy gathered for me, it seemed Beacon Academy was a training ground for talented fighters named Hunters, specializing in mowing down creatures called Grimm, while studying all the same. They devote their life to protecting the people as long as they live. Oh, and they sometimes fight crime too, I guess.

...

I dunno. That's what Rai told me. More importantly, that's not what I'm going to care about for now.

What's happening at this point was the problem. From what I saw as I stood in what looked like the courtyard, there were no bystanders around to watch this scene, no one to gasp and murmur among themselves in their groups. No, what they were all doing right now was resting. Resting inside those coffins that safely contained those people. What they would be mesmerized about (if they were awake) was the sudden change of water turning into blood that was frozen from the fountains, along with the world being presented in an eerie, green tint.

And they would also be frightened about the main building itself, or rather, what appeared to be a very twisted image of it. There were a number of structures poking out of the main building, small towers being formed out of the school itself, and odd lights of blue coming from some of the mini towers.

Tartarus.

The large tower that resides the Shadows, that holds humanity's shunned thoughts of negativity, or so I remembered.

"I guess I should have expected it. I mean, I woke up somehow. Hm..."

A thought occurred as I looked up.

...

That's funny. Rai said something about the moon being broken to pieces.

Right now, the moon looked complete, and not only that, it was in its waxing phase, probably two or three nights away, including this one, before it was full. Perhaps the Dark Hour disregards the true appearance of the moon? Must have been nifty.

"Well, for now, it means I don't have to worry about it."

...Hopefully.

* * *

How large was this place? I'm not even near the main building itself and this place already looks like a maze.

It seemed there was more to this place at first glance. There were a number of other buildings that surrounded the tower, shorter buildings that were positioned in the shape of a semicircle. They seemed to look like small hotels for the most part. Maybe they were dorms? I'm not too sure what they exactly were, but they seemed like so. Some of the other buildings looked odd, however. I couldn't understand them. I haven't seen anything like them.

Then again, I never knew what this academy was meant to be like.

My trek around Beacon Academy in the Dark Hour seemed to have been taking quite a while, but then again, hard to find any gem in the middle of the sand. There's no one around who weren't sleeping safely in their coffins, so you would be hard-pressed to find any.

I sighed.

I looked back at the haunting tower that stood in the middle of Beacon Academy. It's not gonna go anywhere, and it never will. But once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal, Tartarus will disappear until the next Dark Hour, and everything will go on as if nothing happened. People will be unaware of this fact as well, because they aren't involved.

Except me.

And maybe a few other people as well. Well, if they were awake.

"...Hm."

Now that I think about it, there's really no other place to investigate except for Tartarus itself. The world is covered in the Dark Hour, but the main place during that time will always be Tartarus. And maybe the Arcana Shadows as well, if they get to pick their location, but the moon wasn't completely full at this point. If no Arcana Shadows were present, then the best place to try to learn about the Dark Hour would be none other than the haunted labyrinth.

"...Heh."

Problem is, no one here will ever learn of its existence. No one in this world, anyways.

"Still, the maze is the only suspicious place out of everything else, because the rest of the world didn't change shape."

And if that's the case, there should be someone willing to explore it, and try to discover its purpose. That's what I believed, anyways.

Finding nothing else of interest around the dorms (were they?), as well as the other buildings around me, I made my way to the largest, mysterious, structure, hoping there was someone else on board.

* * *

I heard faint voices.

Hah, that was good. I heard voices and I wasn't even close to the tower.

I ventured back into the courtyard to see if there was anything else about Tartarus, but then I hid right behind a pillar after noticing the voices, hoping that there was nothing I was giving away. I needed to confirm first if the people awake here were my soon-to-be partners, or my enemies. I could bet on the former for being part of the school, and thus willing to know why it changed shape. The latter could also happen because there were the crazy ones who appreciated the sight of Tartarus and the Dark Hour.

I wish the enemies we killed could have been reasoned. Maybe then...

I shook my head. It's not important. I can think about that later.

Right now, from what I peeked around the pillar, I caught two unsuspecting people, more older than I was. A tall man with silver hair (or was it really just gray?), wearing a formal black suit with other green clothes, holding a mug of sorts on his left, and a cane stuck to the ground on his right. The other person, a woman with golden hair and in clothes of black and white, along with an odd-shaped purple cape from behind.

It seemed very possible I was watching some of the staff from this academy taking a gander at the mysterious labyrinth Tartarus. I know I would right now, but only if I've never heard of it before. I leaned closer to the pillar, trying my hardest to make out with what they were saying at this distance.

"...odd structure that transformed this academy in one..."

It sounded like it came from the blond woman.

"...would seem. I can only... if this... mere dream we're experi..."

Hm, this one was from the man this time. I couldn't tell. Maybe if I at least inched a little closer...

"...more like a nightmare. Have you seen... water somehow transformed into blood?"

I know I have, miss. Lots of times.

"...also the problem with the moon itself... is undeniably almost a full moon. I would like to think it isn't real..."

I'd like to think so too, old man. But not only that, you wouldn't understand the situation I'm in.

"...kind of trickery needs to stop. I don't like this one bit... not sure if this will have an effect... many students here... else as well."

The Arcana Shadows can vouch for that, miss.

"...do not quite like the taste in design, either."

I almost chuckled, but I quickly covered my mouth; I didn't want these people to notice my presence right away. Still, I suppose even a sense of humor can work in these situations.

They sounded like they were actually staff members of this academy. I don't think there would be anyone else who would hold their oaths and worry about their students. Most of their safety came first, and that made sense. Problem is, I think I already had trouble with someone like them in this situation once. They could be just willing to take advantage of the Dark Hour for whatever reasons they had.

It was logical.

Not that I believed in that theory, of course. Their responses seemed genuine enough for me to think otherwise. Plus, it might be their first time experiencing it.

They would never be like _him_. Not at all.

"Yo."

I stepped out of the pillar and greeted them as I walked towards them. The looks of surprise was expected. I was a little disappointed. I'm pretty sure I wasn't quiet on my footsteps this time before I hid, so I was a little certain that they should have noticed. Oh well. At least they were my potential friends.

I just needed them to see it.

Both of them gave differing glares at me. I shrugged them off, but I didn't forget them easily. The man's stare was more of curiosity if anything, but still showing that he was exercising caution towards me. The woman's was more strict in her glare, and unlike the man's gentle curiosity, her gaze demanded answers from me. I only tilted my head and gave them back a bored stare. Unless if they had a question, I'm not saying anything.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, a soft tone of order trying to echo in my head.

"Minato Arisato." Yep, like so. "Now, are you going to ask anything else aside from my name?"

"What has happened to Beacon Academy!?" She flared at me while giving a motion of her arm. "Explain yourself!" Man, too serious, and more hot-headed than I figured. Then again, I suppose she doesn't take anyone's jokes well.

"Calm down." This time, it was the man himself that spoke up, his tone much more composed than the woman. Those words dug into her, and she hesitantly relented from showing her anger. I don't blame her. It's just normal for a reaction.

The elder man looked back at me. Still cautious, and still quiet, but also quiet that he needn't say anything about what he wanted from me.

"We are in the hidden hour," I explained, a little bit sagely. "And in this hidden hour," I gestured to the land around us, "the world changes to a more haunted land. Only for an hour, of course."

First rule of making agreements: make it short and simple. Some people would probably need to know the basics first before understanding the bigger words. Of course, I doubt they needed the basic version of it, but I guess it's easier to digest it than trying to understand the unknown, only to fail at that and make their moves first.

"So you know of the phenomenon that is occurring," he responded, still being careful about me.

"I'm not new to it," I chuckled, mostly out of nostalgia. "I've experienced this for a while."

The man narrowed his gaze, if I saw through his glasses correctly. "And I suppose you can tell us if it is dangerous?"

I shrugged.

"I know this event all too well. In fact, for now, I suppose I can explain it all if you'd like. I don't mind."

Second rule of making agreements: offer a better explanation afterward. Usually they'll be interested in whatever information you know of, so they'll want more info before they can finally calm themselves down.

So far, I think I was doing my negotiations right. I couldn't really tell what the man was thinking, but it was easy to read the woman, her body looking less tense than when she saw me, as well as her gaze softening up. I think the atmosphere was getting less heat, too.

"By all means," he said with a nod. "It would help us greatly if we know exactly what we're dealing with."

"Sir," the woman tried to protest, but fell short on words. She was still uneasy about me.

In response, the man shook his head. "He is not welcoming us with hostility, and is even offering us information as to what this 'hidden hour' could be. You may continue to be cautious if you wish, but we should not go far ahead of ourselves early on."

"Understood."

Hm. I wonder what their history was like.

"Minato Arisato, correct?"

I nodded at his words. It seemed our trust to each other was starting to bloom.

"Good. I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy."

So the man's name was Ozpin... nothing more? Oh well, I'm not one to complain. Afterwards, he pointed to the woman right beside him.

"She is one of the teachers of Beacon Academy, Glynda Goodwitch."

And the woman only nodded, not out of any form of suspicion, but out of honesty.

I smiled.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two."

And Professor Ozpin smiled a little, noticing my jab.

"Hm, if it was a pleasure at a time like this..."

* * *

I woke up with the color of blue in my eyes.

That was enough to tell me where I was at this point.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Except this time, the voice threw me out in my easy speculations.

I tried to snap my mind open to see what I was exactly seeing. It resembled... a restaurant of sorts. I suspected it had to be a restaurant, with tall seats standing in front of a wide counter of polished wood standing to one side, and behind it were the shelves that contained the many delicate drinks of many names, some with alcohol, some without. To my left was a piano, the lid closed to prevent its sounds from echoing, and the bench to seat the player empty. To my right was a desk, and behind that was filled with a number of merchandises. And weapons too, that oddity. Weapons built with possibly the finest steel and polished to the point they looked brand new, but they were resting amongst the items that were... well, based on their appearance, not quite suited for battle.

They looked like prizes, gifts you gain just by winning something. But why were they among the weapons? Or were they...? No, never mind.

From where I was, I was seated in a diner's table, with every bit of comfort coming from the soft seats. Some spices and ingredients like salt and pepper were standing on the middle of the table, used for the food that would be presented for the customer. As I looked to the middle counter, I saw a boy, standing just behind it with a smile on his face.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call this the Velvet Room," he muttered. "Perhaps the Velvet Tavern would work? Yes, that might work."

Oh yeah, I almost forgot how some residents would be considered the weirdest amongst the weirdest. I could only hope that the boy here wasn't like Elizabeth...

"Ah, my apologies," he scratched his head. Yeah, I was starting to wonder if you were really speaking to me. "My name is Rai, one of the current owners of the Velvet Tavern. Currently, my sister is busy making her own preparations, so she is not here for now. And you must be Minato Arisato."

I nodded.

"Perfect," he snickered.

So it seemed that the Velvet Room wasn't like an elevator of sorts this time. Eh, I'll ask about that later. I looked at the boy, Rai, and took note of his features. In contrast to Elizabeth's nearly-white hair, Rai's hair was all black. He was dressed in a blue tuxedo-like suit that was formal, but his blue jeans had the opposite image. Aside from that, he also had a blue top hat just hanging above him.

Yep. Blue as ever.

Right now, what I was more or less concerned about is the situation that was going on. I already had a sudden, swelling of bad feelings popping up. My appearance here can only mean one thing, and...

"Do not worry, Minato," he stated, looking very calm about this. "Despite what you may think, humanity is not in danger for now."

"Are you sure?" I asked carefully. "Last I checked, it'd be hard to bend those rules we all made. Unless Elizabeth actually pulled it off."

"I am positive. Though, as much as we want to hear from her, I am afraid Elizabeth might take some time to return here, but we will hear her answer. Or my sister's."

"Your sister," I repeated, very unsure about that fact. Did Rai have a different sister who wasn't Elizabeth?

Rai nodded in affirmation. "Luna and I are... new residents of the Velvet Room. Or at the least, we were. We both decided to take our own Journey, however, and that was when we found you located elsewhere."

I gave a flat stare, mainly because of the last part of what he said.

"Oh, but again, you should not worry. Whatever that has happened to the seal has given us quite a shock, but the world is in no immediate danger."

...I sighed. Well, my relief package just arrived and was calmly delivered. Now all that's left is... well, a good number of things for me to ask.

"Yes," and he spoke up as if he read my mind, "humanity is safe, but all it does is nothing more than create countless questions to ask. You can go right ahead, and I'll answer to the best of my ability."

The residents of the Velvet Room (or in this case, the Velvet Tavern) often help me with certain predictions they stumble on. This was just something aside from their main services, but it was nice to know they'd still help me in certain areas, even if it they would only give me subtle hints for me to figure out. After all, subtle hints often tells me of what's to come. And now that Rai was breaking the mold a little by letting me ask questions...

"Well, let me think..."

* * *

The Dark Hour is the hidden hour that occurs every time at midnight, twelve hours sharp.

Within that hour, abnormal changes happen to this world.

A tint of green looms over the world, water transforms into blood, electricity becomes disabled but pass on to the next hour without suspicion, people stay sealed in coffins to prevent the mudane from noticing, and a tall labyrinth called Tartarus takes the place of some large public building. In that labyrinth, Shadows, the manifestation of humanity's negative thoughts, appear in the tower like bees to a hive.

Tartarus hosts a number of Shadows inside, and if conditions are met, some of them will break free to try to terrorize humanity by devouring their souls, leaving them unable to control their body as their minds become warped. In public, this was called Apathy Syndrome. The secret was that they were actually called The Lost.

I was one of the leaders of a team created to find the purpose of its existence, traversing through the dangerous labyrinth infested with Shadows, and as we went on, we would find a way to eliminate the Dark Hour and destroy the Shadows all at once. It didn't really end on a high note, however. Some people died, the apocalypse almost happened, and friends fought each other.

But in the end, it was all worth it. By defeating the entity that stood above Tartarus, we were able to shut down the Dark Hour and put an end to the rest of the Shadows that would break free. We also saved a lot of people.

And... well, here I am.

We didn't get too comfortable since we only picked the benches nearby, though Ozpin might have been with that mug of his. I wasn't the best at story telling (I'd probably handle reports much better), but my tale probably had an impact on the two under this night. The professor himself had shown a bit of worry on that face, and Goodwitch loosened up much more with a solemn look. There were a number of things I left out, though, some events that could only make them uncomfortable and make them unable to understand our reasons.

I shrugged. I know what it's like to no longer live a normal life. But... meh. At least I had fun to the very end.

"Please, let me confirm about what you said," Professor Ozpin muttered after the silence that ensued when I finished my tale.

All I did was nod.

"So this Tartarus," he began, narrowing his eyes behind those circular glasses, "it hosts Shadows dangerous enough to pose a threat to mankind."

"They're gathered in one location, which is here as of now," I supplied for him. "But yes, very bad things can happen if they are left alone."

Ozpin nodded. "And then, by defeating the Shadows that broke free, your group was forced to subdue Death, not because it was malevolent, but because humanity wanted it initially."

"It isn't possible to completely destroy Death," I lamented. "So we did our best to seal it instead. And with the seal, we were able to prevent Erebus, the manifestation of humanity's desire for Death, to come in contact."

"And now," he added, "the Dark Hour has returned, and Tartarus is now manifesting in Beacon Academy, meaning..."

"The seal broke, and now it must be applied once more."

Silence followed again. I would have mentioned something about my story being too difficult to take in, but I chose to stay silent so I could answer anything else better. Sure enough, he gave an easier question.

"This group," Ozpin decided to ask something else. "Did you trust them?"

"The Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad never once disbanded for a trivial reason," I answered. "In fact, I'm sure it disbanded when we all had nothing else to fight for humanity." Well, we did turn into the Nyx Annihilation Team at the final moments, but that's just something else. I still remember SEES at heart.

"You all must have placed great faith among yourselves as a team," Goodwitch commented, seemingly pleased.

I smiled. I wanted my friends to continue living for me, and I made sure of that. I only needed to remember who they were, and that was all the reason for me to help them. To keep them living in peace until the end. Actually, I wanted to know what happened afterward, but I left it up to my positive imagination.

I'm sure they all noticed my reason, too. My reason about the seal.

"Another thing that I am intrigued about," Ozpin cleared his throat. "How did you defeat those Shadows? Was most of your team composed of Hunters and Huntresses?"

Hahaha, if that was true, I'd think shooting yourself in the head would have been a much more serious problem.

"No no," I answered for him, partially out of slight amusement. "About half of us didn't know how to use a weapon well, despite gradually learning them to become great fighters ourselves."

I reached out to an object that was securely held in my pocket, brought it out, and let it rest on my palm. In blind eyes, they could tell it was a gun, but those who were involved knew much well about what it truly was. To Ozpin's and Goodwitch's confusion, I began to explain.

"The power that SEES held was the power called 'Persona', a mask that protects the wearer from many hardships. They are the manifestation of one's psyche, and often resemble what their heart and mind resemble. In an easier way to explain things, they are spirits, but modified to represent our mind and heart."

"The power called 'Persona'," the professor muttered about. To his side, Glynda also seemed a little intrigued. They still weren't unsure about how it worked, however.

"Is it possible for you to demonstrate for us that power?" She pushed the bridge of her glasses upward to fix them. Hah, I figured as much. Then again, I guess this is the only thing left to make my points valid and my testimony concrete. I doubt there was any other way to prove myself.

In a sense, though, I was glad this night turned out okay. My body felt really stiff after not having it moved much for... well, a good number of days, and I needed a refresher on my reflexes and my instincts to get back. Thankfully, I didn't need to do anything strenuous, like getting into actual fights.

First off, a fair warning.

"Just to let you guys know. What you're about to see isn't something great for the mentally weak. It's safe for me, but it'll still send shivers down your spines if you're not prepared. All set?"

Both of them only gave a small nod. They still had a fair bit of uneasiness in them, but their approvals were completely resolute. They sat there and quietly waited for me to make my performance. Thanks to my warning, both of them only flinched a little when they saw me putting up the gun-shaped object on the side of my head, the barrel of it firmly resting on it as I named my power.

"Persona."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight."

I sighed at Rai, one of the owners of the Velvet Tavern. After I asked him a number of questions about the events that led to my current situation, I started to wish this didn't happen. And against all odds, it shouldn't, but...

"The seal began to break down just a few hours ago, which means humanity would be screwed if Erebus and Nyx came in complete contact after those hours pass. What happened afterwards was a very bad string of events which we don't know what really happened, but we all learned that I was dropped on this alternate world in an alternate dimension. The Dark Hour makes a return, and so does Tartarus, making a home in Bacon Academy-"

"Beacon."

"...I'm explaining too much. Anyways, now that Tartarus is here along with the seal gone, and that we're stuck here in this world, where the emulation of magic is made by special powder called Dust, monsters called Grimm roam around, and the moon is apparently broken, we now have to wait for the next sequence of events to occur."

"Yes."

"I see."

...Actually, no I didn't. I find the discovery of an alternate dimension to be a little too surreal for me to understand. Did I really stumble upon another world that was beyond space, the space that held my own world? Such power that could bend the rules of the universe itself to comply...

The universe...

My Universe?

"Did I... cause this?"

"Not quite," he answered quietly. "Your desire to see your friends still remain strong, but that same desire puts you on hold to prevent the seal from being broken. Moving you to another universe, especially by your own will, whilst holding the seal would be quite a feat, however. I would be surprised if you actually transported yourself, but that doesn't seem to be the case."

That was... good? Normally I wouldn't care, so long as my friends were safe, but judging from his explanation, it seemed he carefully hinted at something I managed to catch on.

"Then, someone else did it? Someone was behind my transportation to another universe?"

Rai nodded almost automatically. "Highly likely. However, we do not know who is the perpetrator as of yet."

I nodded in acknowledgment. So someone was in the works under my nose, under everyone's nose, and I doubt there would be early chances of seeing him any more sooner. What did he hope to accomplish by dealing with me and the seal, however? That's a question I hoped I could get an answer out of everything else.

Rai here had been truthful about what he witnessed, even if he could only answer them with not much of a clue at best. He was an odd child, and being part of the Velvet Room really did that. Come to think of it, I never really saw him lounging in the Velvet Room, did I? Back in that place, where the elevator had a near-infinite road to reach the end, not once did I ever saw him or his twin sister there.

Maybe I should ask him about that later. For now, there was another question I had to ask. One concerning about how I felt... different. Less powerful.

"Rai, do you know anything about what happened to me?"

I think I saw a drop of sweat on the kid as he frowned.

"Well..."

* * *

Those who hold the potential are the ones who can hold the power of Persona.

Back then, before I ever joined SEES, or even settled on Tatsumi Port Island as my last destination, I was one of the very few people who knew of the Dark Hour. It was a bit frightening at first, with how I noticed I was the only one around to experience such a drastic change on the entire world. Even when I tried explaining it to people I once knew, they would never understand it. Eventually, I figured I was 'not normal', as it was not a dream nor a nightmare. It all turned out to be real.

What I didn't know beforehand was that I held the potential.

It was still some time away before I joined SEES, and I was still experiencing the Dark Hour for a while. I later learned that not many people who experience the Dark Hour would have the potential, as some of them might be forced to forget their experiences and turn back into coffins the next Dark Hour or two. In order to have it, your mind had to be stable enough to accept the fact that the world was not as it seemed, and you needed to embrace who you are, deep down.

...Well, that's some of the teachings I heard in passing. But by this explanation alone, it's not hard to tell who I am.

I had frowned at the revelation Rai had shown to me about how the expulsion from the seal made my physical form rusty, as weak as during my earlier times, a little after the Arcana Priestess interfered the world. That's an unimpressive level compared to when I was at my true limit before the duel at the rooftop. None of us knew why it affected me, but we knew this was a problem, because trying to use my most powerful Personas at this state would wear out my mind and body easily, so I was forced to resort to my weaker ones. That one was also a problem. The compendium, a book that holds the list of Personas, the one that Rai carried, didn't seem to be compatible with me, so I couldn't even summon the ones that were weak.

Only Orpheus, at his prime form, remained in me.

But that was fine.

"Persona."

_Bang!_

The trigger of the Evoker was pulled, and the small mechanism's effect instantly made its way in my head with a flash of white. The power that I once formed by my connection to Death was still there, but was weak in correlation to my current, weakened state. Yet, I did not embrace Death, I only saw it in a different light. And that idea alone proved that humans shouldn't necessarily want Death, merely understand it.

My kind of Death would slumber for now, hidden in my soul, but in its place was the mechanical musician of ancient times. Silver hair, almost as white as the clear moon itself, with a crimson scarf hanging around his head, while red lights peered out of his eyes. Most of Orpheus' body was mechanical, completely made of polished metal for a body, with steel limbs connected to glove-covered hands and feet-less legs. Behind him was a silver lyre well-designed with hints that showed of its Greek origins.

A blue aura continued to surround both me and Orpheus as power surged in me. This power was both mine and Orpheus, for we both shared the same identity in me. Honest, I did not ask for him to repeat the first thing he once said to me from that time when we first awakened.

But I wanted some good nostalgia anyways.

_I am thou... thou art I..._

_From the sea of thy soul, I cometh..._

_I am Orpheus, master of strings..._

Just like when we were faced against the Magician Arcana, where I had to call forth this power out of desperation, he made the same quote back when I had to fight. But here, I was all calm to at least introduce it properly. There was no immediate danger, no Shadow to fight against, and I already did this back in my days, so I wasn't all that surprised.

The figure of Orpheus continued to float behind me, glaring menacingly out of show with his red scarf hiding the lower part of his face. Ozpin and Goodwitch were in high amounts of surprise, and I had no reason to savor it for a least a little. Ozpin's right arm, the one that held the coffee mug for a while, kept on twitching as a reaction, but he put in good effort to keep it calm. Goodwitch had a more natural look of surprise, with astonished eyes rising up to the figure as she felt pressure placed on her. None of them didn't know what to make of this, the power of Persona, and I think they might have been able to feel Orpheus' stronger presence than mine.

It couldn't be helped. Who would shoot themselves in the head for a monster to come out? But I don't blame them.

I had Orpheus disappear, to return back into my consciousness in a fade of blue, and I lowered the smoking Evoker down to my side. I stared back at the two gawking staff members of Beacon Academy.

Another dimension, a return of the Dark Hour and Tartarus, and so another Journey for me to take.

I sighed. This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

I looked back to my dining table as Rai curiously gazed at me. I wasn't intentionally staring at it. It was more like trying to understand the position I was in.

"I have to make it back."

Rai hummed at my comment with a neutral expression. I don't think I can ever tell what he was thinking. At least he's easier to understand than Elizabeth, but still...

"You have to," he replied calmly. "The world might not last any longer if you are still stray from the universe."

"You said humanity wasn't in danger," I pointed out. I was too tired to raise my voice a little.

The boy shrugged. "Yes. It doesn't mean we know exactly what's going to happen, however."

"So I guess we can't make any concrete guesses for now."

"No."

I heartily chuckled, but we both knew that it was filled with some sadness. What I was about to go through, I was going to undertake another Journey. One that wasn't in my world, Earth, but in this other world, Remnant.

"So I guess I'm stuck in Vale for about a year."

"Yes."

"That's fine."

I stood up from my seat as resolution crossed my soul.

"As long as everyone is safe," I said with some amusement, "I don't have to worry about anything for now."

"Quite," Rai nodded in agreement.

The seal may have been gone, but their lives were not, and that was enough reason for me to continue fighting. If I venture in Tartarus, the accursed labyrinth filled with Shadows, I can learn about what happened back at the seal. And then, I will return to the seal and make sure humanity can never reach Nyx. That's what my friends believed in, and that's why they all wanted to live.

"So," I had to ask this before I could get back to my life, "what are you gonna do with the Velvet Ro... Tavern?"

"Ah," he articulated at first. "For now, I will support you as you go along in your new Journey, be it in your mentality, or your progress at the tower."

"Then you will be providing me assistance with Persona Fusion?"

"Certainly." He scratched the back of his head. "Once my sister arrives, that is. Oh, and when we can, we may be able to create a compendium that can be compatible with your soul, as well as your Personas linked to it."

"I see. Then, do I have to sign a contract?"

Rai widened his eyes for some reason. Maybe he wasn't expecting me following the rules quite bluntly. Probably never had a guest to enforce the rules before, either. What he said afterward enforced that thought.

"Well, I don't really see a reason to," he mumbled before shrugging. "But... I don't mind. I suppose it's another way to prove that you once visited the Velvet Tavern."

Rai lowered to the counter below as he shuffled through the drawers that I never knew what all of them held inside. After a moment, he rose up and placed a sheet of thick paper on the counter, along with an ink bottle that held a blue quill.

He then gave me an amused look.

"You mostly want this because you remember that the Velvet Room had these contracts, yes?" Rai smiled a little.

"I never really did it with you guys in front of me," I answered with a chuckle. "I just want to do this personally."

"So be it."

He pressed his hand on the unsigned contract and shifted it towards me before pointing to the signature line.

"Sign here, and you will allow us to assist you, as well as keep your memory with us. In return, we only ask that you fully take responsibilities for your actions."

I looked up to him with a narrowed gaze.

"Are those really your words?"

"No," he snickered. "Master Igor once said those words to another guest."

I nodded as I reached the paper and began reading most of the generic, boring stuff I've already read before. I did get a good look at one particular phrase before I moved on. It was the same phrase that also gave a memory of what I once read in the older contract.

'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.'

I smiled before taking the old-fashioned quill.

* * *

(Amongst The Others...)

Mitsuru Kirijo initially had no reason to believe this child.

The young red-haired woman, leader of the Kirijo Group and founder of the Shadow Operatives, had wondered how such a child could suddenly show up inside her base of operations. The child was barely three heads shorter than most of the personnel here, further proving the point that size barely mattered much. She was short, with hair as black as the moonless sky, and was dressed in such a strange fashion that one would wonder if she was a mere child cosplaying as someone.

And then she appeared.

Right in front of her.

"Greetings, Mitsuru Kirijo," the girl spoke her first words, while most of the scientists there were stunned about her mystical entrance. "I am Luna, former resident of the Velvet Room, and now one of the second owners of the Velvet Tavern."

Just the sole fact that she was from the Velvet Room brought a sense of relief for the woman, but also a sense of confusion. She knew of the Velvet Room once, when her group, the _previous_ group, was searching for the reason of _his_ death. It had been such a one-time thing that she almost thought it was a mere dream. If this girl was once from the Velvet Room, then it would certainly explain the silky blue clothes she had been wearing; it was comparable to one of the residents there... Elizabeth, was it?

Though, what was this of the Velvet Tavern? For now, that was something else she'd ask later.

"So you are," Mitsuru nodded, acknowledging her status before dropping a comment with a hint of displeasure. "I do prefer that you at least use the front door next time."

The child just shrugged. "I shall think about it. I only thought that seeing you right away would be quicker than reaching the door."

An odd child, she was, but then again, Aigis already mentioned that Elizabeth was odd as well. Mitsuru hoped she could understand her well.

"Alright, is there any reason why you are here?" Mitsuru had to ask. It was a simple conversation she needed, just reasons and information to be gained. Luna might be carefree and tell her straight away, but she still didn't know her well. She might even avoid the subject for no particular reason in the negotiation.

"Hm... too strict."

A frown was marked on Mitsuru when the girl decided to do just that. Honestly...

"Yes, I must ensure that everyone I work with performs their role well," Mitsuru then said as she crossed her arms. "Now, are you giving me an answer?" Respond to the odd subject once, never get back to it. Thankfully, the girl's next words weren't too distracting.

"He has returned."

It was easy to tell that a question mark was hanging around the woman in circles.

"Who has returned?"

Luna huffed in pure annoyance at the question. Mitsuru didn't really get this girl, whatever her questions was about who returned, and then...

And then... she _remembered_.

And her eyes shot up before landing onto the girl.

"He is... back?"

The child only closed her eyes, a satisfied yet sad smile formed on her lips, as both girls ignored the questioning looks the rest of the workers gave. "He has returned... you cannot reach him easily, however, but he is away from the seal, even if it might be a temporary cause."

"I see..."

Mitsuru had to take a deep breath... two deep breaths to realize the entire situation the girl was trying to tell her. The faint pounding deep in her chest barely did much to calm her down, either. To think that he'd be back unannounced, staying silent to everyone on his return... but maybe his inability to completely come back was the reason. He wasn't truly 'back', not without a personal appearance from him, and from what Luna said, it could only be temporary.

Had it been a true return to the world, and to everyone that he loved, she could have called everyone together, whereabouts be damned, and be amazed at the miracle that somehow worked.

But it seemed that it was not all Luna had to say in the matter. She sounded as if she had known what was going on, too.

"Is there anything else you wish to tell me?" Mitsuru then asked, trying to hold against the struggle on her words.

And in response, Luna nodded with a better smile.

"There is a lot to discuss, at best an hour or two to spend on, but we still have some time before I must take my leave. Now, do you have tea?"

Mitsuru was certain that whatever she heard from Luna, her friends would certainly be left wordless by this announcement.

* * *

**Finish!**

**It's really just an info dump for the most part, but it's easy to tell that the next chapter's her awakening.**

**There's gonna be a lot more to this Tartarus, folks. Is it really just an illusion people suspect? Or is it the truth that can only be told from inside? At this point, only time can tell.**

**I'm still debating on whether or not anyone else from the main cast of P3 should show up. It could really just be Akihiko, Aigis, and maybe Labrys since they're all from the Shadow Operatives as well. Mitsuru might have to stay back since the group could only stay standing with the leader and all. And that's not even getting into Fuuka since she wasn't meant for battle at all.**

**I still have no idea if I'm willing to continue this (I already have my hands full with Puella Arcana Somniator Madoka anyways), but hey, if people still want to see more, MOAR, then sure, I'll go on.**

**Now then...**

**Beep beep.**


	2. Moonlight Melts

**And I somehow did it? Meh. You guys can have your fun now. Though I will admit that I was melting during the scene with the Arcana Shadow, but I really couldn't think of anything else.**

**HellPwnage1337: Can you elaborate? I admit, there were some mistakes in the first chapter here and there, but overall I don't think I made it too confusing.**

**ralf07: Sort of. Puella Arcana Somniator Madoka can be considered "connected", but it never gets touched upon aside from a few call backs.**

**kalakauai: Nah, he doesn't have amnesia (as noted by some comments toward SEES), and the Evoker part was with him to the end in the Great Seal (not that you can see it there visually). The idea where a Semblance is toned down during the Dark Hour was already thought of ahead, though once you mentioned it, it did give me a few other ideas as well.**

**jakillking999: This chapter should mostly answer that question.**

**Now then...**

**Ready...? Go Go!**

* * *

**Next – 1**

**Early Morning – My Room**

So I was offered to have an enrollment in Beacon Academy.

During last night's events, I gave them information about the Dark Hour and Tartarus, their many respective dangers, and most information of what my team handled during these situations. The only way to remove the Dark Hour and Tartarus was in simple-sounding steps: traverse Tartarus, defeat the Guardian Shadows, then defeat the Arcana Shadows that get placed all around the city (Beacon Academy this time), continue onwards to the highest floor, and defeat Death.

I wished there was another possibility to stop them. I really did. But it seemed that sealing Death was the best option we could only choose. We just were not able to find any alternatives.

From what we saw when we decided to take a peek at Tartarus, it just so happened to be sealed shut. It was then that I remembered that the Arcana Magician was lurking back in my world before any of us ever got a chance to peek inside Tartarus. If I were to guess, then it should still be somewhere in this country, probably hiding in the corners while taking people in and turning them into The Lost.

I didn't know how many there were. I mean, I just got here, and it's a bit early in the morning.

Oh, and now my current living arrangements. Since taking care of the Dark Hour as well as Tartarus would take a while, the headmaster Ozpin himself gave me a decision to reside in Beacon Academy, to take up on its lessons for Hunters and Huntresses while I would help them deal with the secretive problem inside. I actually wondered if this was because of how I literally wound up in Beacon Academy during the Dark Hour with nowhere else to head to. He mentioned that it was for a few good reasons, one of them being that I could learn how to fight as a Hunter while taking care of the Dark Hour, the other one being his way to pay me back for my offer to subdue the Dark Hour.

I had no reason to not accept. The travel to Tartarus was short, the temporary dorms were nice and well, I'd probably have closer people to work with during the Dark Hour, and I could do all of this out of nostalgia.

Good nostalgia. And painful nostalgia.

I just never explained it to him that I once lived a life like this back then, so entering a school while fighting against monsters would bring back memories, ones that while great for the first run, wouldn't do so well in the second. I didn't want to stop him about it, however. The most that my resurfacing memories could do would make me grit my teeth, or grunt in frustration. If this was a problem, it might have already been, but I was not one to snap so easily, that I was sure.

Still, as much as the positives outweighed the negatives in terms of having to enroll on a school, I had to bury my head against the large amount of paperwork that sat on my desk in my temporary room, usually reserved for teams. I did not have a past in Vale, or anywhere in Vytal at all, so the forms I had to fill just gave me a bigger headache. Thankfully, Ozpin mentioned that he would accept me regardless of what I wrote, just as long as they weren't unbelievably stupid that it would make a kid a genius. Plus, this kind of room was nice. No one else around, perfect for peace and quiet.

I looked at the wall clock up above. 8:35 AM. Huh. I only woke up almost half an hour ago and I had to fill these papers. I went on over these forms twice to make sure that no mistakes were made. They seemed to be just fine, not a simple mistake in sight... or was it just me losing my sleep?

Whatever. It's still early before Glynda Goodwitch actually did check up on me before I would get taken around.

Maybe just another hour...

* * *

**Morning – Beacon Tower**

"You know, I was slightly surprised when I found you asleep on that desk with all those forms stacked neatly."

I sighed. Damn it all, she beat me to it before I actually woke up completely. At least one of the saving graces from her was that she was a bit patient with me, and yet it only took a shift on my shoulder.

After waking me up, Goodwitch took one good look on the papers I set out with a quiet intermission before she set them in her folder. She took me to the dining hall for breakfast since I hadn't have some food before I woke up.

The dining hall turned out to be empty at the hour I woke up in, and I was expecting students to pop up in there, chatting loudly, munching peacefully, and the sort. Goodwitch had it easy to explain that there's usually no one eating in the dining hall during this hour, but it was definitely the next hour that a number of students would rush in for food. And even then, the academy was still in the enrolling month, with at the least only half the amount of people she expected being the only ones around for now.

It was a small stroke of luck for me, I supposed. I was able to eat in peace.

She then had me reach the tower that stood in the middle of the academy, where the headmaster was waiting. And that was when she made mention of the forms I had to struggle against earlier.

I shrugged at her. "I didn't really have much else to do. A lot's been on my mind lately, so I couldn't sleep for half an hour after I woke up, and I figured filling out the forms you gave me last night would help make me sleep more." And that's really if there's nothing else to do.

"I was planning to help you with that, to be honest," the woman with the purple cape responded in a monotone. "But you pulled it off without my assistance, and I did not wish to disturb your sleep."

I stared blankly at her, but tried my hardest to make sure my surprise wasn't fully evident. "You did not wish to. Then, did you come by earlier than I thought?"

"Perceptive of you," she smiled a little. "Yes, I did come by earlier, but you were already sleeping peacefully with the forms you have finished right beside you. I reviewed the forms, but after that, I left you be, and waited for a while."

I felt a ship sinking inside me. "That... doesn't actually make me feel better, you know."

The smile was still small, but her rising amusement was not. "I suppose not. You shouldn't make people wait, after all."

I nodded slowly as we continued on. Glynda Goodwitch and Ozpin were two of the staff who were not transmogrified into coffins. For a moment, I wondered if this was because they also held the potentials and could hold Personas in the Dark Hour. The problem was I didn't really have any way to prove it, no way to prove they also held the ability to summon their Personas. I even quickly dismissed the idea of handing my Evoker to them.

They probably weren't the first cases I've seen, actually; Shuji Ikutsuki was also unable to summon a Persona during my time in Tatsumi Port Island. So as much as we wanted to try, we couldn't test the Evoker for them, not without any sort of proof, anyways.

The headmaster's office was located inside the tower, appropriately named Beacon Tower, and it's the very same one where Tartarus would take shape in. Inside, I quickly noticed the theme of his room, if it was as simple to call it a 'room'. A number of gears as decorations inside the glass desk, other, larger gears being turned as part of the tower's mechanism, and the windows with Roman numbers displayed in the pattern of an incomplete circle.

Probably just to resemble an actual clock tower? It was staggeringly high, the altitude so high up that clouds could cover even what was meant to be the clock itself.

Professor Ozpin took note of my appearance, and gave a nod.

"How are you, Arisato?" He greeted with a tone not unlike the tones the serious side of the faculty back in my school had. Like Mitsuru's.

"Still exhausted." I yawned, rudely but unintentionally. "One of the side-effects of the Dark Hour," I explained right afterward. "You get fatigued more easily during that time. Plus, you have to work an extra hour awake. Not a pleasant thing unless you already prepared your sleep." And it really isn't if you suddenly get sick the next day.

"So it is a normal condition from the Dark Hour as well," Ozpin acknowledged as held onto more of what I said. "And here I was, trying to understand if my fatigue somehow lingered from yesterday's events." He then lifted his white mug in front of him out of slight amusement. "I was even going to add a few more cups into this mug today in case it could have been a long-term problem."

"Sir," Goodwitch spoke up with her stern tone, though it seemed to be out of worry as well, "coffee isn't the best solution for alleviating fatigue, you know."

"And you know me better than that statement suggests, Glynda," he simply answered, "though I will thank you for your concern. But now, we should push those matters away."

Well, back to the situation at hand. I think I'd be more worried about the man's health, but if he found it trivial, well, I'd roll with it, then. Ozpin turned to me as he left the mug on the clock-built desk.

"Since you are very knowledgeable about what goes on in the Dark Hour," he began, "I hope we can continue where we left off from last night." Ah, so it was another exchange of information. "Do you mind telling us on how long will this last?"

I took a moment to recount the time it passed when I dealt with it. It was definitely less than a year, when I first fought the Arcana Magician back in April, all the way to Nyx in the next year's January. Now, there was an event going on that had Nyx come around and bring the Fall earlier. I think that if said event wasn't introduced for the next round, then the Fall should be postponed in some way. That meant...

"It might take around a year, but..."

They both shot a curious glance at me. Yeah, I had my doubts as well about how long would this take...

"There were certain events that may have accelerated the coming of the Fall," I explained with a hand on my chin. "I don't think it's possible said events will reappear here in Beacon Academy, or anywhere in Vale, since they were triggered by a group of terrorists who desired humanity's downfall."

And we only noticed it in January too, about what was really happening to the city and its illogical 'cult'. It was too late to convince people otherwise; some just didn't care about our warnings, and some were easily possessed, or were already part of The Lost because of the cult's ideals that strengthened the Shadows.

My friends were thankfully not involved. None of them were.

"So... assuming that there won't be a repeat of a group that's similar," I continued, not with hesitation, but in a better way to explain it, "the Fall might not come that soon. But then again, we were never able to completely determine if that was really the case."

The headmaster hummed for a moment before taking another sip. I wonder if he knows how to control his caffeine.

"Then it may take more than a year to remove the Dark Hour entirely," he surmised.

I shrugged. "Well, really, it all depends on whatever is about to come. For now, all we have are conjectures."

"This will be most troubling, however," Goodwitch spoke up as she adjusted her glasses. "If this will take, by approximate, a year to end the Dark Hour, then there will be the consideration of students who will be targeted by the Shadows, and become The Lost."

"The cases aren't permanent," I reassured them. "Most of the times, the Arcana Shadows, those that are outside Tartarus, will only take form in the Full Moon, and the people who are The Lost will be their power sources. However, once an Arcana Shadow is defeated, those who are The Lost will come back to their senses, and the numbers will lower until after the New Moon."

I gave a sufficient explanation to them, but they in turn gave me curious glances. I wonder why?

"The moon..." She breathed out, almost looking like she saw a ghost. "Wait, during the Dark Hour..."

"Yeah, don't you remember? The moon appeared to be restored during last night's Dark Hour."

That comment alone brought a myriad of confusion to the staff.

"Then... how?" Her tone was noticeably having a sharper edge to it. "The moon has always been in pieces, ever since that time..."

"Unless if the Dark Hour itself was able to manipulate our senses, and make us see that the moon was restored," Ozpin gave a plausible guess. "It would certainly explain why. Though, it is odd for the Dark Hour to make the moon seemingly restored in its time."

"That's just how the Dark Hour wants it to be, I guess," I responded. "But you may be right in that the Dark Hour was able to confuse us about the moon," I added with a lift of my hand. "Even so, it's still hard to tell on the moon's phases since it's broken in every other hour."

As that bit of the moon sank into them, I did wonder how the broken state of the moon came to. That's a question I'd have to save for another day.

"If I remembered right on what I saw," Ozpin mumbled to himself, "the moon was in its waxing phase."

"And it's almost complete, too," I added for him. "It'll probably need a few days before there will be a Full Moon."

"And that's when those Shadows will appear," Glynda whispered.

The tension quickly rose into the atmosphere. I had to kick myself for that, but I didn't see any other way out. As I thought last night, now it might need one or two days before the moon finally sets in, and an Arcana Shadow will be loose to wreak havoc onto the world.

It wasn't allowed to happen. I wouldn't allow it to happen.

"This will be most troubling, indeed," Ozpin muttered to himself. Eh, it will be problematic if it was left out. "Do you have any suggestions on how it should be dealt with?"

I shook my head for most of it. "For the Dark Hour, you can't really prepare for something you can't easily expect. The only way to determine its form and location would be by using a Persona with the ability to scan things..."

"And does your Persona have such an ability?"

"No. Back then, I had two people with their Personas perfect for that department. Right now, I only have me and Orpheus."

Silence settled in. We both tried to rack our heads around a possible solution. At best, we could find someone with that ability, maybe even a student, but I haven't seen anyone making an appearance in the Dark Hour so far. That, and Glynda and Ozpin probably aren't suited to the idea of using the Evoker...

"Arisato."

I snapped my head to the blonde teacher right beside me, and from her look, I could tell she was thinking exactly what I was thinking.

"Those who experience the Dark Hour," she began. "Do all of them have their own Personas?"

"Most of them do," I explained, my neutral expression still withstanding. "There are times where they can enter the Dark Hour, but they might fall prey to Shadows, the ones that lurk outside normally."

She nodded. "And what do you make of us?"

...Wait a sec. It was true that Shadows would hardly go after those with the potential in risk of losing themselves. Before I ever encountered these two, they were doing just fine for a couple of minutes without me around. Could it be?

No, there's still another problem.

"At the very least," I said slowly, "one of you must have it."

Both of them mulled over my response. I'm not gonna risk giving my Evoker away unless they were absolutely sure. And even then, it's still risky. Hell, it's almost like Russian Roulette itself, just without actual guns and bullets.

Still, even with the possibility of that fact, Glynda made her decision adamantly.

"Then, I will try using the Evoker, and see if I can summon my Persona. Do you mind?"

She knew what she was getting herself into. We all knew, which was why the headmaster himself barely gave any objection to the use of my Evoker. It was a gamble, not necessarily of life and death, but to see if she would still keep herself around, and anyone would be crazy about the consequences. Despite that, he still trusted her with knowing what trouble she would get into. When they made eye-contact, they never exchanged any words about it, yet it was as if they were able to read each other clearly.

That kind of trust was admirable.

I smiled. It's not often you see trust as subtle as this.

* * *

**Dark Hour – Courtyard**

Well... that was interesting.

There wasn't much else to do beforehand. We had to wait until the Dark Hour pulled over for us to make our experiment. There was a common warning that summoning a Persona outside the Dark Hour would put extreme pressure on someone that they won't last. Of course, none of us ever tried it out, actually, but I never knew about the side-effects. I mean, it's possible it's just heavy exhaustion, but I didn't know what it really was.

Once everyone started sleeping in their coffins, me, Ozpin, and Goodwitch turned up at the Courtyard to try out our experiment. They didn't really have much faith in themselves yet with the summoning still looking scary as ever, but I still gave my Evoker to Goodwitch, and we all hoped for good results. Though... half a minute passed without the trigger being pulled, of course. There was doubt circling in her eyes, and her lips almost made a grimace.

Of course, I had to put in the effort of giving her encouragement, even if it was a bit off for me to say. If she wanted her Persona, then there wouldn't be any doubt she could use it for the sake of protecting others.

And finally, her arm stopped shaking violently, and it held the Evoker at ease. The very small drop of sweat on her forehead vanished, her eyes clearly became calm, and she took a deep breath as her last step to compose herself.

"You're right. Thank you."

That comment alone set her off and pulled the trigger.

Pieces that seemed like broken glass flew out on the other end of her. The same pale blue aura that surrounded me before was now radiating from her to tell of her own power, and gusts came around in response to it. I saw her face showing her determination, great enough to tell that she had nothing to fear anymore.

The project was a success, and the teacher was able to summon it.

As for what Persona she summoned? Well...

* * *

(Amongst The Others...)

Mitsuru bit her lip.

It was disappointment, calm frustration, even. She was correct to believe the news was too good to be true, and part of her was glad all her hopes weren't crushed. Luna brought in news that the Great Seal was unlocked, with Minato able to freely walk around while humanity was not in danger of its death wishes granted.

For now.

It was only because of a distortion sent him far away from this world, this universe, that made all chances of his return almost impossible. If what Luna said was all true, then Minato was stuck in a world called Remnant, and that world was very much far away from this world named Earth. Not only was his return shuffled out, apparently the Dark Hour, the incident that gave way to Shadows in the world, managed to reappear in Remnant.

So many facts were running into her head at once. The case of the alternate universes, the reappearance of the Dark Hour and Tartarus, and even that distortion that made his new life in another world... these facts had too much to be a coincidence. Someone out there planned him to be away from the Great Seal, and even prevent him from going back and restoring it. Removing him from the seal will certainly bring the apocalypse on humanity.

But for the Dark Hour and Tartarus to manifest in that other world...

Perhaps that person, who tried to orchestrate the event, didn't think too far ahead. That part easily meant there was a mistake on the distortion that happened, and now, humanity on this end would not die so easily.

But then, there's the matter of the other world, Remnant...

"So," the red-haired woman began, "am I right to assume that the Dark Hour will play out the same way from a few years ago?"

"It is possible," Luna answered before raising her teacup. "I have yet to confirm this, however, but events from before might be replayed this time."

"And for now, he's the only one on Remnant able to stop it."

"For now."

"Then... what should we do?"

The voice came from another woman, with blue hair styled in a braid, Fuuka Yamagishi. She was wary at first when she detected a source of power (and it felt familiar, no less!) suddenly appearing right next to Mitsuru. And then it turned out to be a child from the Velvet Room, that place that had helped Aigis at one point in the Abyss of Time...

"The next chance to traverse to the other world will happen in its next Dark Hour," Luna informed. "I can use the Velvet Tavern during that world's Dark Hour to traverse to the other world, but only residents there are allowed to enter in a physical state."

"So only you and your brother can reach the other world," Mitsuru concluded.

Fuuka gave a saddening look. "Then, it's not possible for us to see him?"

"I am trying all that I can to see if there is an alternate method," Luna whispered in slight pain. "Such magic to bypass the borders of a universe require a large quantity of power if it is on purpose, especially if you are trying to determine your new location."

"Then it's next to impossible," the teal-haired girl muttered.

"It is such a strange turn of events for us, however," Mitsuru hummed with closed eyes. "To think that such dimensions existed beyond our reach, never being found for countless millenniums. Though, with this world already proving its magic to us, I had thought of such a possibility..."

"How do we support him beyond dimensions, though?" Fuuka inquired. "I don't think our Personas are capable of sending signals through dimensions. And even my abilities may have its limits..."

Juno was one of the best Personas available to scan things from a distance, up to almost the sky itself, but Fuuka wasn't sure if it was ever possible to go beyond that. And Mitsuru's Artemisia was hardly any better, with a lower range covered, along with special equipment necessary for its scanning ability. What else was there to support him?

"There is an easy answer to that."

Both women stared at the child with simmers of hope rising in their eyes. Had Luna already thought of something?

"Remember," she responded with a lift of her index finger. "Your group, the same one that climbed Tartarus, did not involve less than one man during an expedition. I have this premonition that Minato Arisato may not be alone in that world as well."

A vague answer, a vague suggestion, yet one that Mitsuru was able to understand right away.

"You are saying that there may be those in the other world who have the potential."

"Yes. There is the chance that those people may exist upon contact with the Dark Hour."

That was the best idea at the time that they could not hesitate to make use of it, especially if there was no other valid idea.

He was not alone, and he never would be.

"Yamagishi," the leader's voice opened up, and Fuuka stood straight. "Go to the scientists. Have them prepare at least five Evokers ready for Luna."

"Ah, right away!"

The growing smiles on their faces showed a positive light raining down on them as they found the best way to support him. Luna only smiled when they put the pieces together. Still, with friends like these, it was no wonder how Minato was able to stand against Death.

"Luna," Mitsuru spoke up once more, "if you don't mind..."

"I never mind for the friends our guests makes," the child grinned as she tipped her pointed hat. "The residents of the Velvet Room, and the Velvet Tavern, were always hoping for the best of humanity. This kind of help, we even appreciate it."

And the red-haired woman nodded.

"Mes remerciements. You have my thanks."

* * *

(Amongst The Fool...)

**Full Moon**

**Daytime – Courtyard**

The day the Full Moon has a chance of setting in, and the night that an ordeal will come, and I'm a bit unprepared...

I didn't really have much else to do, to be honest. The best I could do before the Arcana Shadow would appear was to take in the sights around here and explore around Beacon, and make sure I wasn't getting lost before I could reach the Shadow's location. Classes for me didn't start today, and instead new students would be heading towards the main hall for some speeches with Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch.

Oh. Just in case it wasn't clear: I was bored.

But I digress, of course. That's the side-effect of not seeing anyone else for a while. The academy was empty until now, and I didn't have anyone jumping on me to say hi. Junpei was the first in the school to greet me, and from that day onward we both had our lazy moments at times. Yukari would also be part of whatever we had on our minds, and we were rather notable when we hung out often.

I smiled. It's alright. I'll see them someday.

I probably shouldn't be so worried about this life, though. I figured, maybe getting a few new friends wouldn't hurt.

Problem was, everyone was in their own little world as soon as I tried to do just that.

Let's see... it started when that girl in red spun around uncontrollably when the blond girl ditched her in high speed that it would make Junpei realize there was no way to run from her if she was hounding after him. Next, the disoriented girl tumbled onto a pack of briefcases that probably belonged to the girl in white, spilling some powder onto the ground. The girl in white then shouted at the girl in red about Dust being delicate in those briefcases while waving around a few packs in front of the shorter girl, prompting her to sneeze in such a way I almost gave a smile.

I never knew an explosive with electricity currents and frosted moisture could be generated with a single sneeze. Then again, you could object to that if you could create a large hammer from the heavens above to smash the ground.

Oh, right. So now another girl, this one in black, picked up a flying bottle, then told the girl in white about harsh labor work or something, causing her to storm off. And finally, the girl in red tried to thank the girl in black for being spared of any more lecture, only to find out that even the girl in black just left as well.

...

"_I will burn my dread~..."_

Eh, I wasn't listening to most of the stuff they were saying. I only overheard things when there was shouting involved.

I turned down the volume of my headphones just in time to notice the girl dropping down to the ground, exhausted, depressed, and probably bored as well. She closed her silver eyes to turn away from the cruel world to embrace her misery for a short while.

"Welcome to Beacon..." She sighed in disappointment.

I smiled before kicking away from the pole of the streetlight.

"You sound like you're having fun."

And in the next second, she jolted upward in a bit of a surprise and geared her head towards me. Her surprise was soon replaced with confusion, however, and after that came her anger with a small pout.

"Are you blind?" She threw at me, no doubt displeased at my tease.

"No, it's the inverse. They sometimes don't see me," I 'corrected'. All it did was narrow her eyes, though.

"Meanie," she then complained with a finger pointed at me.

I shrugged. "I try at times." Mainly just to tease for their sake. "So how long do you plan on sitting there?"

"I don't know..." And she promptly dropped back down with arms spread. "I mean, I don't really have a reason to get back up... and I feel a little sleepy."

Turning to the sound of soft chuckling, I saw a blond boy walking up to her not-so-dead body, offering a hand to get her back up and running. His smile didn't seem as eager as Junpei's, but instead a little humorous.

"Hey," he began slowly. "I'm Jaune."

Well, if she wanted a reason, then here was a good one. Out of sincerity, she took the hand and was lifted back up.

"Ruby..." She greeted back before turning to me. "And what about you?"

I nodded in response.

"Minato."

* * *

We hung around in the courtyard for a while.

I'm not sure what did I have in mind when I wanted friends in this world. Then again, I didn't really have an opinion on what kind of friends did I want. At the least, they should be easy to talk to, no matter the circumstances, and that was enough for me.

Ruby Rose was an odd one, but I'm not faulting odd people like that. She was dressed in the elegant black and red dress with the tied-up cloak behind her, and I didn't see any other color on her, all for her namesake I supposed. She was a little awkward at first glance, but that's not suggesting she was hard to talk to for the most part. Jaune Arc had the casual look in the interior, but he had the body armor equipped on the torso and shoulders. He almost did remind me of the carefree attitude Junpei held were it not for the fact that Jaune didn't sound all too confident at times. That, and I doubt Junpei would easily get sick in an airplane if he could handle a boat.

Huh? Well, Ruby did hurt Jaune a little when the only thing she remembered about him was that he vomited during the trip to here from time to time. Poor guy.

"So... I got this thing."

I wasn't all too surprised to see a weapon shaping itself to be a metallic scythe being brought out from her, with the tip making a mark on the solid ground. I was more curious on how the hell did it fit in a size like that.

"Whoa!" Well, Jaune was surprised, but more on how it almost nicked him. "Is... that a scythe?" He then slowly asked.

"It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle!" Ruby beamed as she gripped her special weapon. Huh. A scythe doubling as-

"A what...?" Jaune mumbled in a clueless state.

"It's also a gun."

Ruby and I blinked before we glanced at each other. Meh, I don't care if either of us got jinxed, really.

"Oh..." Jaune then responded, smiling. "That's cool!"

"I guess it is," I commented while observing its shape. A scythe and a sniper at once... "Doesn't look like much of a simple sniper rifle I'm used to seeing, though. Does it cover a good distance?"

She gave a shy smile upon noticing our growing interest. "Sure does. I can also switch it up a bit by using ammo that has a high recoil rate to jump back if I fire them in the front."

"Wait," he then cut in, "I think you're saying... that you bounce backwards by using that ammo?"

"It's a good way to avoid some attacks, too!" She beamed while holding her weapon carefully.

A large, sharp scythe that doubled as a large-distance sniper rifle and tripled as an evasive propeller. That's quite the abilities her single weapon has.

"Hm." Very interesting weapon, she had. "It's definitely not a Nihil Weapon that I would find in Tartarus, but it certainly is unique on a creative aspect..."

"Hm?" Ruby spoke up all of a sudden. "Nihil Weapon?"

Wait, what? It took me a second to realize that I was actually speaking out of my mind. That, and I was peering on her weapon a _little too close_...

"Ah," I straightened myself right away. "The Nihil Weapons I find along the way. Normally they're just basic weapons, like a normal sword, or a lance, but they're special weapons once they're honed with the best resources that can only be fused with them. Without them, they're pretty much empty weapons."

"They sound creepy," Jaune shuddered, striking an uneasy glance at me. "So, uh, what do they do?"

"Aside from specific Nihil Weapons," I explained along the way, "they're just more powerful than whatever else I find. Most of them gain different attributes depending on the resources used. And those resources are pretty rare, too." Well, sort of. I am the only one that can make them with some help, after all.

"And you have one of those?" Ruby then asked in some amazement.

I shrugged. "I left a number of them to my friends. I do have one or two of them with me, though they're somewhere else at the moment."

I thought it was actually nice to talk about weapons, but there was also a sense of worry when I saw stars in Ruby's eyes that were starting to shine more brighter than the sun itself. I hope she doesn't strangle me out of a desire to see what they were like.

The Nihil Weapons I have, Rai promised to keep them secured until I'm powerful enough to the point that it would feel right to hold them again. You could technically steamroll through the first few levels of Tartarus with just them only, and it's not gonna help everyone else if they don't take their turns to fight. Well, I could carry one just in case the Tartarus here happened to be much different than the one back in Tatsumi Port Island, but I don't think that would be the case.

I snapped back to reality when I saw Ruby still staring at me with those twinkling eyes. Wow, she's handling it even worse. But thanks to how she wasn't that obsessed on seeing my collection (I don't think I was able to tell if she wanted to...), she quickly turned to Jaune.

"What about you?" She asked of him, and I let out a quiet sigh.

"Huh? Oh, uh, I got this sword..."

He pulled out... eh, it's a regular sword. He unsheathed it and waved it around a little for us to see. It didn't look too impressive, really. It looked like it was built with nothing but silver.

Ruby gave an impressed 'oooh', which probably sounded a little less impressed inside. I... only nodded. I didn't know what to say of it just yet.

"Yeah, I got a shield, too..."

Well the shield happened to be a little different, at first looking like a small rod, only to change shape into an actual shield. There was an insignia of two crescents at the center of it.

"So, what do they do?" Ruby asked firstly.

Well, the shield does bounce around Jaune whenever it can, if I witnessed correctly. Surprisingly, he didn't drop his sword either.

After fumbling around and straightening himself, he spoke up. "Th-the shield gets smaller." I noticed. "So... when I get tired carrying it, I can just... put it away..." He finished, a little embarrassed on what to say.

"But... wouldn't it weigh the same?" She said slowly. Yeah, it does change shape, but not the mass of it.

"He's probably trying to say it's easier to carry," I responded, almost bored.

"Y-yeah, that's what I meant," he sheepishly said, scratching his head. After a while, though, he glanced back at me again, but in some frustration. "Listen, I know my sword isn't as cool as those Nihil Weapons you can get, but I'm just trying to get better here..."

"I'm not criticizing you, actually," I tried to calm him down. I easily knew what he was getting at. "In fact, I started off with a simple sword at first, there was no secret to it. I still went on through places with it, and it was only later that I learned about the Nihil Weapons."

"So you're saying that you didn't have Nihil Weapons in the beginning?" Jaune asked, seemingly surprised.

I shrugged. "Someone has to start somewhere basic."

I don't know why, but it does feel like it's Junpei I'm seeing here, looking for some stupid way to be special all the time and being admired by many. The only difference is that Junpei happened to have the most confidence and even took the worst kind of risks. Jaune here didn't seem like he was ready for any troubles ahead. I still hoped he wouldn't get agitated easily because he wasn't that special. It leads to bad things.

Like going straight into the enemy's trap.

Intentionally.

"You know, Minato," Ruby spoke up behind me, "you gotta show me those Nihil Weapons sometime, if you can."

"If I feel like it," was my response. I'm a bit too lazy to bring them out.

"Well you gotta!" She raised her voice. Were my weapons that special? "I'm actually curious to seeing how you make those things too! You'll let me in on it, right?"

I don't believe I've ever met anyone who was well-versed and very interested in weapons before. At least, not this giddy.

Still, this was... a nice start, I guess. They're a little less normal than the friends I'm used to back home. Aside from the sane and girlish archer, we have the red reaper who adores her sniper-scythe. Instead of a fun and lovable pervert, we get a fun but basic knight without courage. I think this world seems to have flipped on the types of friends I'll be making.

Oh well, I'm just hoping nothing weird happens before the Dark Hour enters.

* * *

**Evening – Infirmary**

Oh, just... damn it.

Lying in front of me was a student on the bed whose name didn't ever reach my head once. His eyes were shut when they noticed how bloodshot they were, as if he never blinked once. And once in a while, he would moan about something incomprehensible to the world. And that was all he would do.

"Uaaah... aaahhh..."

He didn't care where he was. He didn't care what he was doing. He didn't care how he got onto the patient's bed. No, the reason why he didn't care was simple: he couldn't. And that's because the Shadows have taken a hold of him. Anything we could try to get his attention, it would never work.

"Arisato," Glynda Goodwitch spoke up in a tense tone, "is this in correlation to what you warned earlier?"

"Yes, there's no doubt about it," I sighed, lifting a hand to cover my right eye. "This is what the public would come to know as Apathy Syndrome. In truth, he's one of The Lost at this point."

This was already bad. I was expecting The Lost to show up suddenly, considering how close the next Arcana Shadow is right now, but we weren't really prepared to deal with this situation. And until the next Full Moon Shadow is defeated, the student will be stuck on that bed, up until the next day at best.

"We'll have to rid the Arcana Shadow soon," the teacher sternly said. "If we don't, then more of the innocent will wind up as The Lost."

I nodded solemnly.

"I just wish 'soon' happened sooner."

I didn't explain to Goodwitch about the strange bruise I got on my forehead. I only said that there was too much I said to myself before coming here.

Right now, all we could do was wait for the Dark Hour.

* * *

(Amongst The Rose...)

Ruby peered into the darkness in the room.

"So much for that letter..."

Just before the avalanche was dropped on her, she was only writing to her friends back home, her real friends. It was just so weird to be in a different school with hardly anyone around she knew of, and that wasn't helping much. All these people here, they didn't look like they'd take her seriously, so it was hard to get along with them at all.

...Well, that's not entirely true. Jaune had been an easygoing friend when they met. Awkward to look at, and even tried to cover up his problems, but he was still a good person at heart, and was easy to talk to for a bit. He only made a bad impression at first, of course, and Yang's probably only gonna remember him for that. Ruby was close to making that funny mistake too. But at least that wasn't all about him.

Then there was that other one, Minato. An odd one who remained quiet at times, and had a bit of a knack on teasing people, but overall he was mysterious. He was just a hard person to read. He didn't really answer much about himself, like where he came from, or what his goals were, but he didn't mind if he had to talk. It was still hard to understand him, though. He seemed like he was hiding a number of things.

Yang seemed genuinely interested in seeing 'this Minato guy', more than Vomit Boy at the least (that poor guy). That actually gave Ruby a thought when she was trying to recall about him. Once they met with the rest of the crowd during that small meeting, she didn't see him anywhere when they had to leave. One would wonder if he sneaked out easily, or if he used the crowd to somehow hide among that many people.

She didn't know. But she felt that it wasn't the last time she saw him.

Okay, so there were at least two people she made friends with! The problem was she didn't know them all too well, and she doubted Minato would reveal himself easily.

Of course, that didn't impress her sister enough when she decided to drag her around to make friends before she turned in, effectively dropping both pen and paper and having the snowball run the course. They ran into Blake, the one that stopped Weiss from giving the shorter girl a long scolding. They sort of, maybe, she-didn't-know, became friends at that point, even if it was a bit of a rocky start, and it seemed that all was well until Yang praised her so cheerfully that it led to a noisy moment between them.

And then Weiss showed up with a hundred more of her complaints coming down on her like said avalanche, as if the moment wasn't already crazy. Naturally, Blake, who was probably wanting her peace at the time, soon closed off the lights.

And Ruby didn't even get to finish that letter she wanted to send to Signal...

"But... it's not so bad..."

She made two friends, found another potential friend, and it was all in one day. So Yang was taking it a little too far at the end, but at the least she gained points, even if she was terrible at socializing with people. Plus, she was already exhausted at this point, and the night hours were already on, perfect for a peaceful sleep she oh-so-much desperately needed.

"And it's not like anything bad can happen during late nights."

...Right?

* * *

**(11:59:56)**

**(11:59:57)**

**(11:59:58)**

**(11:59:59)**

**(–:–:–)**

* * *

"Right, maybe I'll just go knock myself out. Night Ya-"

...

"...Gah!?"

Ruby scrambled upward in total fear as the horrifying image kept showing in front of her eyes.

There was a coffin.

A coffin that rested flat on Yang's sleeping bag.

And Yang wasn't there.

Silver eyes continuously widened slowly to their highest. Arms began to tremble at the sight of the absurd scene. Breaths became shaky as they ran low from her lungs. Ruby had every single reason to stay frightened for this moment.

"Y... Yang?"

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to make of this coffin that took Yang's place. Why was it in her place? What happened to her!?

With no answer being received, Ruby took a moment to examine the coffin. Just what was it? And... was it even real? As if her body wanted to answer that question, her left arm slowly approached the casket, only stopping just an inch away as if it changed minds. Ruby took one gulp before she pushed onward and gave the object a few light touches.

_Knock knock..._

...No answer.

Seeing as that didn't satisfy her at all, Ruby was inclined to turn around to check everyone else. She didn't really want to, at first, once she felt a feeling, a very bad omen lurking right behind her, but she still spun halfway while clamping down her own hidden protests.

And gasped.

The people that were supposed to be sleeping in the room, those who came to Beacon Academy on their first day, all of them were gone, with the only objects taking their place being even more coffins. All of them were lying down in those sleeping bags, those that belonged to the other new students. And that was not all. Blood, red, wet blood happened to be leaking from the ceiling, running down to the walls themselves.

Ruby blinked.

Ruby blinked again.

Ruby then laughed, proceeded to beat her face with a pillow, then rubbed her eyes and opened them.

Coffins. So many many many many many many coffins.

"Guh..."

Why was this not a dream? Heck, why was this not even a nightmare!? She abruptly stood up, almost shakily to the point that she stumbled over. This... totally wasn't Beacon Academy. No, it sure looked like it, but this kind of scenery... and the disappearance of the people around here... was this something else? Just an illusion? Tripping? No, she was sure she never had anything funny for dinner...

Ruby shook her head. No, that's not important.

Something was going on, something ever so wrong that it could make any scary story look like a child's bedtime story. And she was the only person around to explore this world... whatever was happening to it anyways. And maybe if she could find out what was going on, she could probably fix it and everything should return to normal.

Okay, first things first. Get to Crescent Rose. Maybe whatever she's dealing with wasn't to be taken lightly, and that's if it was in a good day. Though, with the way everything looked right now...

"Good evening."

"Gyah!"

And Luna was certainly going to enjoy this moment.

* * *

(Amongst The Fool...)

**Dark Hour – Courtyard**

Sophia, the masked woman that levitated above Glynda Goodwitch. A flow of black hair was flying from the strength of her radiating power. The clothes she wore were pure white robes with icons of open scrolls etched on them, and gold rings with figures of books were on her index fingers. The silver mask she wore was of two V-shaped pieces put together, hiding her eyes and her lips from a front view.

Her arms were stretched across and gave a blinding sphere of light. Shapes in circles, quadrangles, triangles, and even five-pointed stars were flowing outward as particles of her power. This power was definitely familiar when we tried it out last night, and I wasn't really expecting Goodwitch to conveniently have it. Then again, maybe being a smart person does that to you. I didn't know.

Meanwhile, Goodwitch had to take it to the floor to avoid using her Persona without much support to her body. Behind them, Ozpin watched on. I couldn't tell what was on his mind, but his stern expression gave away his concerns about the now.

"Do you detect anything, Glynda?" He inquired.

"_Negative,"_ her thoughts resounded in our heads. _"I'm still searching for any unusual signals. I will let you know of what I discover."_

Ozpin nodded, and came on over to my side. "It seems that her power will be useful for the upcoming obstacles this year will have."

I had to agree wholeheartedly. "The Personas that can analyze from afar, they hold a tremendous amount of support."

"I must admit," he then added. "I was willing to believe your story before you showed us your Persona. I had no reason to object it, especially after what we both witnessed."

He turned back to Glynda and Sophia, still checking around for anything in this destined night.

"I was not expecting for her to hold a Persona, however," he mumbled in sincerity. "Out of everyone here in Beacon Academy, along with the new students attending, it struck me as an oddity when only we were able to hold the potential, let alone have a Persona."

"It is true that most people don't awaken to the Dark Hour right away," I explained to sate his curiosity. "But 'most people' doesn't mean 'everyone'. It can come off as surprising."

"And for Glynda to have a Persona that can analyze..."

"We're just that lucky, I guess."

Maybe it was expected that Goodwitch would actually have an analyzing Persona, considering her nature. When I said we were lucky, I meant it because she held the potential out of everyone else.

The headmaster didn't seem too keen just yet on using an Evoker. I complied with his decision. Not everyone who awakens to the Dark Hour can hold a Persona, so he decided to wait until there was a good confirmation for him.

"_Hm...? This is..."_

Question marks rose around us once Goodwitch picked up on something.

"Did you find something?" I asked of her. This could be big.

"_This reading,"_ she began to report,_ "it almost feels similar to ours..."_

"Similar..."

A troubling thought rose to my head.

"Another person with the potential?"

Both staff members remained silent at my self-questioning. This was definitely troubling, but also good news as one. If we can get to the person and confirm that he or she holds the potential as a Persona-user, we could have a new unit on our hands. There might be a problem though. I only brought one Evoker with me after all...

"Where's the signal coming from?" I asked. The faster we reach out to that person, the better.

"_Just a second,"_ she said first before confirming her suspicions. _"Yes... the signal is coming from __the ballroom__ the new students are using..."_

"Interesting," Ozpin hummed. "To think that a new student would hold the potential..."

I frowned, though. It was quite nice for a new face to possibly hold a Persona, but that thought alone brought a very weird feeling to tingle inside my head. It was crazy, almost as if it was familiar somehow...

"_Wait!" _Goodwitch suddenly shouted in our heads. _"There's... multiple signals heading in that direction! These signals are... could they be?"_

"Oh yeah," I sighed loudly. "Now I know why I was getting an odd deja vu moment. It's almost the same thing back when I started out..." Yep, the time when the Arcana Magician showed up and tried to kill me with its small army of minions.

"_Then those are Shadows..."_ She trailed off, realizing what was going on.

"And those Shadows are heading there because of that student?" Ozpin asked tensely.

I only nodded. I knew where this was going.

"Miss Goodwitch," I called out to her. "I'll be taking my Evoker back."

* * *

**Ballroom – Lobby**

Whoa. Now if I wasn't noticing the sleeping bags earlier, I would have assumed right away that it was a temporary shelter that found dead people in a wide-scale accident. It was seriously littered with coffins everywhere.

I don't see anyone awake, though... the person with the potential must have fled somewhere inside, but...

"Mmmrrr..."

Oh, almost forgot about the Shadows in front of me. Standing there was a group of slime-shaped Shadows, each with two mossy arms and a blue mask, the mask of the Magician, on them. Three Cowardly Mayas, and they came with a number of weaknesses.

I wasn't gonna get anywhere if they were still in the way. Might as well plow through.

I raised the Evoker to the side of my head, and felt its cold pressure before I pulled the trigger.

"Orpheus!"

_Bang!_

The famed musician of Greek mythology materialized right beside me, and pounded one of the Cowardly Mayas with his instrument. The strength to Bash did enough to disintegrate the Shadow completely.

Once Orpheus disappeared, I moved onward with a Saber in hand, slicing up another Cowardly Maya with one strike. The Shadow had its halves fall apart and disappeared completely. The third Shadow had almost caught me as I dodged swiftly enough. Once it lost its momentum on its swing, I cleaved through it with the Saber, and it, too, vanished.

Still no sight of the person. Looks like I'll have to continue onward...

"Mmmrrr..."

Behind me...?

As I turned around, another group of Shadows, much larger than the previous group, came in from the open doors, edging closer to me second by second, not paying attention to the other coffins that surrounded us. Crap, I don't have time for this...!

"Arisato!"

I looked up to the double doors and found Glynda and Ozpin standing nearby, looking ready for a fight. To the teacher's shout, all Shadows turned to them.

"Leave these Shadows to us!" Goodwitch ordered me, though it was more of a request. "Go, find the person, quickly!"

"You two be careful, then!" I shouted back before running off on my own. There, the set of stairs I had to take. My footsteps became the accompanying sound aside from the constant thwacking and whamming from the main room.

* * *

**Ballroom – Top Floor**

The flight of stairs wasn't that long. Actually, I was surprised I reached the top floor with nothing in the way.

I darted my gaze around the quiet hallways. No Shadows were placed here either. Something wasn't right, but I didn't have the time to mull over that. I needed to find the person that's awake before I got this over with.

I quickly roamed around the halls. I could probably shout here to get his or her attention, but there was the possibility I could attract a Shadow like this...

I stopped dead in my feet as it almost made a screeching sound.

"Ah..."

Right there, leaning on the wall with a look of panic as if the world turned up-side-down. Her breathing was very noticeable as she sounded less composed, and her chest kept rising and falling. She was clothed in her pajamas meant for sleeping in this hour, or rather, every other hour except this one.

Silver eyes met mine.

"Ruby?"

"Minato?" She shakily responded, looking relived on my entrance, but not completely on the situation. "Wh... what's going on? I just saw those strange Grimm monsters coming inside, and then..."

Even at this point, it's kind of hard to mistake monsters with blue masks for Grimm. I mean, I doubt there was a slime-based Grimm around here. Come on...

"Those kinds of monsters," I said, recalling those same words Yukari once said to me, "we call them Shadows."

"Shadows...?" She parroted in confusion. Yep, Shadows. "Wait, that's what that girl in blue said to me..."

"Girl in blue...?" I gave an astonished response. This girl in blue... "Wait, do you mean..."

My eyes widened.

"Get down!"

Ruby reacted accordingly to my command, and I did the same, as we saw a large blade flying through the hallway, its sharp edges not reaching anything until it struck the wall behind me. The sword hung there, stuck on the wall as it created cracks on its landing.

We turned to the direction where the weapon came from.

There, where an arm splashed to the ground in the darkness. In its hand was the same kind of sword that almost nicked either of us. It was a lone arm at first, up until multiple black arms spread out at once from the darkness, all of them holding the same weapon as well. The next few seconds, one more arm pushed forth, not holding a weapon this time, but instead a lone blue mask. It acted as if it was the face of the entire Shadow.

The Arcana Magician.

"So... this is a Shadow..."

"Yes..."

Ruby seemed more relaxed than I thought she'd be. Her breathing suddenly became quiet, and while I was still behind her, I could tell her face held some kind of determination placed there. I didn't know what it was, but she seemed content on facing towards the Shadow that almost killed her moments ago.

And then... she did something that drove me in confusion.

"How did you...?"

An Evoker...?

* * *

(Amongst The Rose...)

It was foolish to consider this some wacky nightmare she was having.

No, this was all too real. Everything she saw was way too strange, but they all felt real. Those coffins in place of everyone, the blood that leaked from the ceiling, and the eerie visuals all over the world, one would easily hope it was a dream.

She didn't know where that child in blue came from, heck she didn't hear any doors open from her. Or, well, she didn't know why she had that gun with the word SEES attached to it, or why she gave it to her as if it was normal, or why that girl _pointed that thing to her head_...

It was crazy! Just what was that smaller girl thinking, suggesting that the gun-like thing should be shot in the head!? And she was so calm about it too...

"If you refuse your chance at survival, you will not live any longer in this world. Please, accept this with my thanks should you decide to overcome your fears, and manage to face the Shadows that roam in this world."

She gulped.

Standing in front of her was none other than a Shadow. It honestly didn't seem too different from a Grimm. It was less beastly, and looked more like an actual monster. Those slime things from earlier were undoubtedly Shadows as well. All of them had that blue mask around.

And that girl, Luna, wanted her to use that artifact to live.

There were supposed to be alternative ways, of course. Using Crescent Rose was among them, and having a sniper-scythe around rolled better and easier with her than shooting yourself in the head. Unfortunately, Crescent Rose didn't seem to respond, the switches and triggers to it unable to light it up for a fight.

She only a few seconds to wonder why when those Shadows came up.

But now, all she had was this gun-like thing that's supposed to help her.

Ruby felt her heart pounding in an increased speed again. Longer breaths were taken in and given out. So, if she didn't use this thing, she was going to die. If she used this thing, it might kill her. Or it might help her. There was no weapon active by her side, with Crescent Rose being dimly quiet, and she still didn't want to get shredded to pieces by this Shadow, but honestly, dying to it felt much more easier than pointing _that thing_...

No. It was now or never.

Within seconds that made it almost seem like a minute, she lifted the object upward.

The acronym of SEES was still there, still proving that it was the same gift she was given.

A few more seconds, and finally the barrel of the gun made its way to the side of her head.

The Shadow with the multitude of swords almost seemed like it was moving slowly as well.

Five more seconds, and she felt so much pressure that she felt a drop running down her cheek.

"Go on. Do it."

She might die here.

"Per..."

But if she could do this, then she might live.

"so..."

And that's all that mattered.

"na..."

_Bang!_

* * *

(Amongst The Twins...)

"Welcome back," Rai greeted to the girl again as he made his way over the jukebox on the right end. The Velvet Tavern remained inoperable for the most part, but at the least it wouldn't be long until their guest came around.

"Same to you," Luna responded before taking a seat on one of the stools. "So, is it ready?"

"It's more than just ready," he answered with a grin, his right hand inches away from the music player. "You can't make a performance without a song, after all."

He pressed the play button.

_I love you~, you love me~..._

He pressed the button again.

_We are living our lives~..._

He pressed the button again.

_God or demon~? What am I~? It's time for me to-_

He pressed the button again.

_Jingle Bell~, Jingle Bell~, Jingle Bell Rock~..._

He pressed the button again.

_Can you see~? The sun is shining on me~..._

"Rai."

"This is not my fault, Luna, and you know it. This is all Fate's fault."

A blue card appeared in front of him.

"Jack Frost," he grunted, completely annoyed, "Sonic Punch."

As soon as he crushed the card, the snowman in the blue jester costume obliged, and prepared his knuckle.

_Thump!_

_..._

_..._

_Baby baby baby baby baby~_

_Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaahhh~!_

* * *

(Amongst The Fool...)

The swords the Arcana Magician held were being swatted away, one by one.

The Shadow tried to deliver every possible strike to Ruby and I in the middle of the hallway. The swords it held would try to run through, or carve through, yet they were always deflected by the Persona that continued to fight back.

That Persona belonged to Ruby.

It looked robotic in nature, as most of its body seemed to be built with advanced technology. The top of its head had a flat, steel plating, but reached down to the face so that it covered the eyes. The large gloves and high heels it had were also made of metal plating inside them as well, but the red cloths that covered them seemed pretty durable. The inner body armor was all black, but an insignia of a white moon was placed on the torso.

A Persona based on the moon? Hm...

There was no attack pattern the Arcana Magician held, yet the Persona did everything it was doing to deflect the faces of those swords with its well-designed gauntlets. Not even the sharpest sword the Shadow had could get through without being redirected. But despite the fact that the Persona was successfully blocking all the attacks with its armored gloves, it also meant it wasn't able to go any further to attack. There wasn't a chance it could get to strike back with the barrage of swords trying to pass through her.

They weren't alone, though.

"Orpheus."

_Bang!_

The musician appeared right beside me, and dashed forward to swing against the Arcana Magician's blue mask in an attempt to crush it with a Bash. With all those swords distracted and occupied, the large lyre came through with no hindrances and struck the mask, crushing it greatly with a single blow.

"Burn it with Agi!"

Orpheus retreated back to my side and began to play its lyre. If I can make this quick before the Shadow had any chance to recover...

"Selene, Tera!"

Ruby suddenly shouted up right beside me, calling her Persona to...

Wait. Tera?

The red-draped Selene jumped right back to us as soon as Orpheus finished his spell. Among the small, fiery explosion that burst onto the withering Arcana Magician, shards of soft ground formed up, not from any ground itself, but almost as if this kind of earth was generated. Those shards knocked out the rest of its hands, effectively destroying them and blasting their swords away. Those hands were quick to disintegrate as well, the arms slowly becoming a black ooze before they evaporated like steam.

The blue mask Orpheus crushed earlier made sure the entire body of the Arcana Magician left this world. Forever.

I took one more look of the Persona that awakened to Ruby. So, Selene, huh? After a moment, the Persona took a moment to turn back to its master.

_I am thou... thou art I..._

_By your call, I cometh forth to answer..._

_With the life of the moon itself, I shall help you..._

_With the guiding light during the night, I will assist you..._

_I am Selene, and my powers shall show you my rays of hope..._

...Damn, Orpheus. Looks like she has you beat on invocations.

The Persona Selene, in a deep mist of blue, vanished instantly from the world with no more words spoken, and the only ones left in this hallway were me and Ruby. Looks like there's no more Shadows left for now...

"Selene..."

_Thump!_

I threw my gaze to Ruby once a loud sound came from her. I was alarmed at first, but as I figured, she was lying down on the ground, eyes closed off for a while. There wasn't any sign of injury on her, and her breathing seemed normal. Yep, guess she's just exhausted, almost like the first time I summoned Orpheus and Thanatos.

I walked over to her and knelt down to get a closer look at her. Cute, even if she really did seem out cold. Hell, if this battle didn't happen at all, I would have assumed she managed to sleepwalk with those girly pajamas of hers.

Still, we managed to defeat the Arcana Magician, and we just finished getting a new ally.

No sooner did I hear the sound of footsteps. Must have been Ozpin and Goodwitch running upwards to check us up. I do remember leaving the Cowardly Mayas to them, and those Shadows aren't considered threats as they're more like cannon fodder. And right I was, as their faces quickly became apparent in the darkness.

And then the confusion hit them.

"Arisato," Glynda had to ask, "is that...?"

I smiled as I checked back to Ruby here.

"She is. And don't worry, she's snoring peacefully," I reassured them. And with that said, they all calmed down. Well, sort of.

"And to think that girl, who was skilled yet too naive and reckless to be a Huntress..." I heard Goodwitch sigh.

"At the least," Ozpin responded, with a hint of amusement that I almost didn't notice, "she is doing well for someone who had no experience in the Dark Hour. I don't see any Shadows around, either. Perhaps you have already taken care of the Arcana Shadow?"

I nodded.

"I wasn't alone."

It doesn't take a genius to know how the danger just left this world and how safe we are right now. And since Ruby here is just exhausted, I can worry about some other problems that just came up.

I do wonder if the residents of the Velvet Tavern can answer most of my questions...

* * *

**Finish!**

**I will say it now that it does seem odd for Minato to have a dorm room despite not being in a team. I still decided on that because they can see he is a bit of an exception with his role during the Dark Hour. That, and it seemed more convenient and welcoming for him.**

**Nihil Weapons will come in later. Why? Everyone needs the actual experience. Oh, and Joke Weapons too.**

**Tera spells from previous Megami Tensei games are introduced here, and the element will be affilated to some Personas and Shadows. Strengths, weaknesses, you name it.**

**Choosing the kind of Personas for this fic was... challenging. I was thinking about using the fairy tales RWBY is known for basing them and make some Personas from that. Problem is, not only do some characters there come with no names, some with names do make it more awkward to consider with their puns (Glynda Goodwitch with Glinda the Good Witch, Jaune Arc with Joan of Arc, etcetera). In the end, I decided to stay with the Greek history as Persona 3 did, but in the meantime, I'll have those Personas correlate to the fairy tales they base in as well. I mean, Susano-o changed appearances in P3 and P4, right?**

**So yeah, Selene. Think Artemis from P2, but with less armor parts. And some extra red.**

**Also, it seems making 10k words is about to turn into a thing for me. Good news?**

**Now then...**

**Until the next Full Moon... or New Moon. Whichever.**


End file.
